Hundreds of workers at the Birmingham-based LDV van plant were yesterday warned there is no guarantee they will have a job after a last-minute ‘rescue’ was announced.
A judge held off from putting the failed company into administration after being told a Malaysian firm, Webstar had agreed to buy LDV from Russian owner Gaz, and the government was providing a four-week £5m bridging loan while the deal was being sealed.
But when asked if he could assure workers all 850 jobs would be saved, LDV marketing director Guy Jones said: ‘No we can’t, we will secure as many jobs as possible.
‘We cannot stand here today and guarantee the jobs. The marketplace will determine how many jobs are required.’
He added the plant would remain closed for another couple of weeks to finalise the deal with Webstar and no date had been set for production to restart.
Webstar assembles LDV vans in Malaysia and markets them across South East Asia and the Middle East.
Meanwhile, sacked workers from the Visteon plant in Enfield were lobbying the Unite TGWU offices in London in support of Unite Convenor Rob Williams at the ex-Visteon, Linamar plant in Swansea, who was suspended last week pending a disciplinary hearing yesterday.
Commenting on the situation at LDV, Enfield Convenor Kevin Nolan said: ‘The government’s £5 million is a loan and will have to be paid back, so it’s no real favour.
‘People will have to be ready to stand up and fight for their jobs. They should occupy like we did. If you look at it, it looks like a total massacre of jobs – at Visteon, Ford, General Motors and LDV.
‘But it’s not just about the auto industry, it’s about jobs in general. The TUC should be looking at supporting jobs in general.
‘There should be a rally for workers across the country. We need action before it’s too late.’
Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretary said: ‘We are delighted at the government’s backing for this company.’
Turning to their lobby for Rob Williams, Nolan told News Line: ‘Rob turned up for the meeting this morning but the bosses didn’t.
‘I think it’s because of the amount of people outside the plant. There’s at least 95-100 of us, including 20 from the Enfield plant, as well as some of the workers from the Basildon plant.
‘Management have moved the meeting to another part of London.
‘We are concerned to learn that they have taken the door off the convenor’s office in Swansea and there is a police car inside the plant.’
• Rob Williams was sacked yesterday.
Nolan said: ‘It’s an absolute disgrace. It’s an attack on the union, on everything. We’ll be sending a task force down to Wales.’
• Fiat yesterday strenuously denied a report that it plans to slash 18,000 jobs by closing or scaling down ten factories in Europe in a possible takeover of Germany’s Opel.
Citing a sensitive internal document, the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) said Fiat would want to cut 18,000 jobs, closing or scaling down ten factories in Europe if it reaches a deal with GM.
The document was reportedly titled ‘Project Football’ and dated April 3.
It said the jobs would be cut from the 108,000 total at Opel, GM Europe and Fiat, if a deal is reached.
